Manawatu Standard
Silica risk forcing closure
The floor of Manfeild’s indoor arena has been pulled up because of safety issues relating to the presence of a potentially dangerous substance in the surface. Two large events at the Feilding venue had been cancelled - the National Dog Show earlier...
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Speirs Foods in receivership
A Rangitīkei fresh food company has been placed into voluntary administration as its owners say it is no longer profitable, but it will continue trading. Speirs Foods is based in Marton and makes salads for supermarkets and the food service industry....
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Disabled group faces MPs
Disabled people and their whānau are living in turmoil and struggling to navigate a system that has let them down year after year, a meeting has heard. Labour’s Tangi Utikere and Priyanca Radhakrishnan addressed an almost-full house at the Palmerston...
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Six staff resign en masse
Six staff members from the Tararua Health Group have resigned during a meeting with the company that owns the Pahīatua clinic, following concerns around understaffing and stress. Staff from the Pahīatua Medical Centre met with OmniHealth managing...
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Farmers push for river fixes
Farmers in Tararua have formed a group to take their concerns about waterways to Horizons Regional Council. A group of farmers from Norsewood to Woodville held a meeting at Rua Roa Hall near Dannevirke last Thursday to discuss their concerns about the...
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Gumboots to Gucci: How a country girl ended up selling wool to Italian fashion
Wool from a Tararua farm could end up being sold as high-end fashion garments in Italy. Angela Rycroft farms merino sheep at Waitahora, southeast of Dannevirke, and has for the first time just sold “six high-quality bales” of wool to Modena in...
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A fight to save homestead
Family members of the man who gifted a Manawatū reserve to the community oppose a council plan to demolish a homestead at the property. Mt Lees Reserve on Ngaio Rd near Feilding was originally owned by Ormond Wilson, but he gave the land to the Crown...
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Helping homeless move in
A “thoughtful, connected and measured” response to homelessness in Palmerston North has been lauded as a stark contrast to central government “move-on” orders. A city council-funded $100,000-a-year outreach project has helped 26 people, including two...
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Woodville designer to WOW
Twenty years since she last entered, a Manawatū designer’s work will be back on stage at a renowned fashion show. Woodville woman Trudy Fowler is a finalist in the World of Wearable Art fashion design competition, known as WOW, which starts in...
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Cover plan faces backlash
A proposed facelift to Feilding’s town centre is dividing residents and market stallholders. The open-air brick quadrant in central Feilding, home to the weekly farmers market, may be covered and weather-proofed if the council progresses plans in its...
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Call to end house shortage
A desperate need for more homes in Palmerston North has been highlighted by housing advocates. Palmerston North MP Tangi Utikere hosted a public meeting about housing at The Globe Theatre on Friday night and asked speakers to discuss what wasn’t...
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Turbos send a message: They’re no easybeats
Manawatū Turbos coach Wesley Clarke calculates he has aged five years every time he exits the coaches’ box after NPC games at the Arena. Thursday night was no different when Reece MacDonald snatched the 27-24 win over Taranaki with a challenging...
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Candidates get creative
Political candidates running in this year’s general election have had their artistic skills and education policy knowledge put to the test. Primary school teachers union New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa held an election hui at Focal Point...
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Kiwi fans delight F35A pilot
An experienced aviator in charge of flying an aircraft so fast it can break the speed of sound says the most thrilling part about being a pilot is the people he gets to work with. Mark Biele, commanding officer of No 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air...
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Changes fall short for author
A Palmerston North author believes changes to a government fund that pays people with books held in libraries don’t go far enough to fairly compensate writers. Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden last month announced changes to the Public...
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Candidates given a grilling
Palmerston North’s Youth Council has grilled prospective lawmakers on the issues which matter to younger residents and prospective voters across the region. Aspiring MPs from across the political spectrum gathered for debate at a “Pizza and Politics”...
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Empowered victims heard
A charity working to help victims of crime come face to face with their perpetrators has reached a milestone 5000 cases. Manawatū Restorative Justice Trust has been operating in the region for more than 25 years and takes on cases from as far afield...
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Author steps back to a post-WWI Auckland
A Palmerston North author has waited a long time to tell what she feels is an important story. Jackie Davis has just published a new novel called Aftermath, which is set in Auckland after World War I. It was the third novel she had written but the...
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Roundabouts called for
A petition urging the Government to install roundabouts at two dangerous Feilding intersections is revving up attention amid fears the sites will only jump up the funding “pecking order” if more accidents happen. In less than a week, nearly 1000...
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Housing may jam ‘jellybean’
A proposed housing project at Cloverlea on the urban edge of Palmerston North is likely to trigger upgrades to a jellybean-shaped roundabout. The roundabout sits at the intersection of Tremaine Ave, Gillespies Line, Admiral Place and Botanical Rd,...
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PNBHS to run bus service
Palmerston North Boys’ High School has stepped in to run a new bus service to ensure secondary students in Tangimoana and Rongotea can get to school following cuts to Ministry of Education routes. The rural area west of the city was affected by a...
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Make the switch to Stitch
Who doesn’t love the mischievous Stitch from Lilo & Stitch? Disney’s cheeky alien will inspire children aged 6 and up to get brushing with the cool blue Oral-B iO Kids electric toothbrush. It’s designed with dentists to be gentle on kids’ teeth and...
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Parents fight for law change
A grieving Manawatū family is pushing for tougher penalties for careless driving after their 18-year-old daughter was killed in a crash at a dangerous intersection. Cameron and Kathryn Stothers were launching Jade’s Law, a petition seeking amendments...
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Finding right fit for retired racers
When it comes to finding new homes for hundreds of now-retired racing greyhounds, it is as much about making sure they are suited to the family as it is that the people are the right fit for the dog. With the closure of the commercial greyhound racing...
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Drivers cause havoc
On a calamitous day in Palmerston North, one motorist crashed through a brick fence and wall of a house in Highbury, while another avoided road spikes as they led police on a chase across the city.
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Racer learns his fate in court
The driver of a Ford Falcon littered with slogans including “f... the police” continued to perform a burnout for four minutes after pinning a spectator between his vehicle and a metal rail. Tyrone Murphy, 23, was among hundreds of drivers who gathered...
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Density rules ease for city
The rules have been changed to allow up to 1500 extra homes to be built within Palmerston North’s residential areas. More than 800 hectares has been rezoned as medium-density residential land, where up to three units of up to three storeys can be...
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Fix flood risk before building
People living in Palmerston North’s most vulnerable western neighbourhoods need protection from stormwater flooding, advocates have told the city council’s community resilience and sustainability committee. Ora Konnect and Te Tihi o Ruahine have made...
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Charges after cop injured
Two teens have been charged after a “good bloke” police officer was critically injured near Palmerston North on Saturday. The officer, a constable based in the city, was deploying road spikes on Kairanga Bunnythorpe Rd about 2am on Saturday, when the...
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Artistic tribute to Palmy’s beloved public loos
Even the most humble public spaces can reveal profound truths about our values and culture. Artist Emily Hartley-Skudder is lifting the lid on Kiwis’ relationship with public bathrooms, drawing inspiration from Palmerston North’s enduring sanctuary –...
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Govt alters council’s plans
Following years of deliberation at the council table, and legal scrutiny, the plan for managing intensive farming in the Manawatū-Whanganui region is facing more changes. Central government announced on Wednesday that requirements outlined within the...
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Split vote paralyses plans
Council flats in Palmerston North are going to need $47.4 million more spent on them over the next decade than the city council can afford. But councillors at a community resilience and sustainability committee meeting yesterday ended up in a...
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Foxton is vital to CD racing
The Foxton Racing Club hopes a 150-yearold piece of legislation and the fact it provides a vital service for training horses will ensure it can continue into the future. The racecourse was one of the venues named in a racing industry report released...
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Hedy Lamarr’s double life
One of the 20th century’s most enigmatic and misunderstood personalities is being re-examined under the lights of Globe Theatre. There is “no absolute truth” to the life of Hedy Lamarr, the golden-age Hollywood starlet and genius inventor, said Paul...
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New bill will ‘cause harm’
Opponents of the Disability Support Services Bill say recent changes do not go far enough in addressing the harm that will be caused if it is passed into law. Dozens of people affected by the proposed legislation gathered for a protest in The Square...
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Plotting a better trajectory for children with disabilities
A Palmerston North centre helping children with disabilities to reach their potential is planning for the future to help more whānau experience success. Little Stars provides care for children from age 1 up to adulthood. About 40 children are on the...
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ED updates put to the test
Palmerston North Hospital contingency plans swung into action on Tuesday as a winter surge of acutely unwell patients tested capacity. Four elective surgeries were put off, care for patients in the emergency department was made the top priority, and...
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Rennie’s legacy honoured
A well-known Rangitīkei artist’s legacy will live on in a series of flags that have been displayed in one of Marton’s main streets. Bruce Rennie was a long-time Marton artist and teacher at Rangitīkei College. He died in 2017, aged 89. Marton woman...
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Top-level shake-up looms
Massey University is proposing to restructure its senior leadership team, with a number of changes to top positions. The university is consulting with employees about changes to its “executive operating model”. A statement from the university said...
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A shot in the arm for Kauri
A decade on from a merger designed to keep primary health working as Palmerston North GPs neared retirement, Kauri Healthcare is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. The integrated family health centre brought together teams from the Amesbury Health...
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Death fees bite nationwide
As the “monopoly provider” of deathcare services and infrastructure across Aotearoa, councils needed to do more to keep costs down, according to the New Zealand Funeral Directors Association. Gillian Boyes, NZFDA chief executive, called on local...
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Tributes play on for ‘Johnny Mac’
He was a man of music, style and many friends – and all three were deeply entwined. Such was the tone of the tributes for Johnny McCormick, which were paid in laughter, tears, soaring notes and shots of whisky at a packed Globe Theatre. The...
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Faith for long-term future
The chairperson of the organisation that runs Awapuni Racecourse is assured it can navigate a challenging period while its grass track is closed and become a major training centre. A report released by the racing industry last week recommended big...
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PN, Horowhenua team up
Palmerston North and Horowhenua are front-footing a plan to be the foundation members of a new sub-regional council. The city and district councils both met yesterday, and agreed to write to Local Government Minister Simon Watts telling him they are...
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Mum flees, home set alight
A heavily pregnant woman fled her Manawatū home carrying her 4-yearold daughter after three gang associates arrived looking for her partner and one set her property alight, a court has heard. The woman read her victim impact statement in the...
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Transform WINTER SKIN
Why skin is so dry in winter That feeling of tightness after a shower? Blame it on the season. This is what experts mean when they talk about a ‘compromised skin barrier’, and it’s something many of us are experiencing right now. Dryness is caused by...
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Tears, hugs at the finish line
The ecstasy of a race win was mixed with heavy emotions as commercial greyhound racing reached the finish line. The reality of a Government ban on commercial greyhound racing, announced by Racing Minister Winston Peters 18 months ago, hit home on...
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Closure proposal draws criticism
A proposed overhaul of New Zealand’s racing infrastructure has gone down like a dodgy race tip at one of the tracks earmarked for closure. Earlier this week the thoroughbred and harness racing codes released a proposed master plan for racecourses,...
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Squash world tour to make a stop in town
Dozens of the world’s best squash players will compete on stage in Palmerston North next year. The city is hosting the New Zealand Squash Open from February 15 to 21, part of the professional PSA world tour and it will be played in a glass court on...
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Last bits of track pulled up
Work to remove any sign of greyhound racing at the Palmerston North track should be completed by the end of the week. The commercial greyhound racing industry is about to be wound down as the Government ban on the sport comes into effect after...
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Harness club vows to fight
The Manawatū Harness Racing Club is in line for closure, as are thoroughbred training venues at Foxton and Levin if recommendations from a horse-racing industry report go ahead. The troubled Awapuni Racecourse would stay open and become a metropolitan...
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A century of grit and wit
Even when sitting quick. She loves a pun or a turn of phrase, and delights at reaching into her mind to dust off an adage or a pearl of wisdom, or at least the start of one. She is prone to taking “tangents”, as her daughters put it, but she has a...
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Hopes up for school buses
A potential solution may have emerged for Palmerston North secondary school students who have lost their bus routes, but it could be up to their schools to arrange replacement transport services. After intervention from the Government, the Ministry of...
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Finding gut health results in Feilding
A biotechnology company is working with Manawatū farmers to create products that can improve people’s gut health and should be a boost to the New Zealand economy. Proliant Health and Biologicals is a United States company with a site in Feilding where...
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Luxon’s school bus lifeline
After months of unrest from parents over changes to bus routes, the Government is coming up with funding to help schools pay for their own services. Changes to school buses have been a controversial saga since the Ministry of Education started...
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Locum cost hits new high
The amount of money spent on temporary doctors to plug gaps in the health system has hit a new high, topping $200 million for the third year in a row. Health NZ said it was working hard to recruit permanent specialists, and has even cut the budget for...
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McGruer’s has seen it all
An institution of Marton’s main street and retail community is coming to an end after more than a century in business. Clothing and fabric store McGruer’s has been on Broadway since 1917 but owner Peter Scott, the third generation of the family to run...
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School bus runs on again
New Horizons Regional Council-run bus routes to get Ashhurst students to high schools in Palmerston North have begun, but questions remain about the services’ long-term funding. The first day of term 3 on yesterday brought new buses for about 230...
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Actor rapt to bring play home
Waenga, a play on the challenges facing rangatahi Māori, doesn’t lack for poignancy, but there will be extra feeling for one of the cast when it is performed in Pahīatua. The touring Te Rākau o Te Wao Tapu production will provide a homecoming for cast...
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Orthopaedics dept near the brink
The orthopaedic service at Palmerston North Hospital could follow gastroenterology into collapse, a retired surgeon fears. Once head of orthopaedics at the hospital, Geoff Anderson said he was speaking up on behalf of colleagues remaining in the...
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All-weather space proposed
A pitch for a permanent covered event space in the heart of Feilding has drawn a cautious response from nearby businesses. Retail and hospitality operators have stressed the need for Manawatū District Council to consider already tense trading...
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Horizons ready to take over Ashhurst schoolbus routes
New bus services run by Horizons Regional Council to cater for secondary school students in Ashhurst will start next week following cuts to Ministry of Education routes. Many children in areas surrounding Palmerston North were affected when the...
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Mobility funds a game changer
A pilot programme providing powered wheelchairs to people with disabilities should lead to greater independence and a better quality of life for users. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston announced a $3.5 million Government project aimed at...
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Charities launch urgent drive
Kaimanawa wild horse charities are raising money for an unprecedented fourth muster of the year to avert the need to cull a small group of the animals. The group of 15 horses is in an ecologically sensitive area of Defence Force land near Waiouru, on...
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Kia Toa celebrate huge win
Not even the most dyed-in-the-wool double blue from Bill Brown Park saw such a lopsided Hankins Shield final coming. Kia Toa brought their power tackling game to trounce Varsity 59-27 at the Arena on Saturday, even though they’d had a win and a loss...
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Bodybuilder’s dedication pays off
Since Manawatū bodybuilder Shaun Ruddle first stepped on stage, he’s been captivated by the sport. Ruddle is an I Compete Natural New Zealand bodybuilder, a federation for athletes who are drug tested. In the past six years he has dedicated his life...
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Tararua mayor cautiously optimistic’
Tararua’s mayor is “cautiously optimistic” changes to local government and opportunities presented through current reforms may truly improve local decision-making after a “softening of language” from the Government. Mayor Scott Gilmore had written...
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Mother dies after leaving ED
The grieving family of a Feilding woman who died hours after leaving a hospital’s emergency department say she chose not to stay as she was told there would be a “25-hour wait”. Briar Vicky Parfitt, 40, died on Saturday as she headed to Hawke’s Bay...
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School to get new classrooms
Funding for two new classrooms is being well received at a Manawatū high school dealing with a booming roll. Education Minister Erica Stanford recently announced the Government was spending $10 million to build 14 new classrooms at schools across the...
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Life in jail for fatal attack
A Horowhenua man will spend at least the next decade in jail for the unprovoked murder of his housemate, with psychiatric reports finding he is likely suffering from schizophrenia. Dylan Neil Jensen, 32, was sentenced in the High Court at Palmerston...
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School’s call for SH1 crossing
The thought of children dodging through a flow of heavy traffic outside the school gate gives Foxton principal Phil Gunn the creeps. More than 10,000 vehicles rumble past State Highway 1 outside St Mary’s School each day and it was one of many schools...
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Old ways meet the new waves
Students have examined how generations of Pacific people have adapted over time and inspired generations of the future in their performances at this year’s Pasifika Fusion festival. The cultural festival wrapped up at the Regent on Broadway on...
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‘Opportunity of a lifetime’
Whakarongo School principal Jaco Broodryk is calling it a day, having been at the helm through probably the biggest period of change in the school’s history. Broodryk has been at the school on the edge of Palmerston North for 23 years and is retiring...
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In it for the long haul
Since starting as a one-truck operation 50 years ago, Palmerston North company PTS Logistics has grown to one of the biggest transport businesses in the country. PTS Logistics, which ships cars, tractors and other goods around New Zealand, is...
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‘Haphazard’ response for chronic gastro patients
The really “tricky” part of keeping the lights on at Palmerston North Hospital’s gastroenterology department is managing patients with chronic, lifelong intestinal and liver conditions. That was one of the messages from Health NZ Chief Medical Officer...
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